Women’s share of labor force to edge higher by 2008

February 14, 2000

Overall labor force participation rates will continue to rise among women and edge down among men between 1998 and 2008. As a result, women’s labor force growth should be faster than men’s—about half again as fast, in fact.

As more women are added to the labor force, their share will approach that of men. In 2008, women will make up about 48 percent of the labor force and men 52 percent. In 1988, the respective shares were 45 and 55 percent.

These data are a product of the Employment Projections program. Find out more in "Labor Force," (PDF 105K) Occupational Outlook Quarterly Winter 1999/2000.